<TITLE>prob008: vessel loading</TITLE>
<HR><!------------------------------------------------------------------------>
<CENTER>
<H1>prob008: vessel loading</H1>

<TABLE>
<TR> <TD> proposed by
     <TD ALIGN=LEFT> <A HREF="http://www.csd.abdn.ac.uk/~kbrown/">
          <B>Ken Brown</B></A>
          <ADDRESS><a href="mailto:kbrown@csd.abdn.ac.uk">
          kbrown@csd.abdn.ac.uk</a></ADDRESS>
</TABLE>
</CENTER>
<HR><!------------------------------------------------------------------------>
<H3> Specification </H3>

<TT>


Supply vessels transport containers from site to site. The deck area is
rectangular. Containers are cuboid, and are laid out in a single layer.
All containers are positioned parallel to the sides of the deck.
The contents of the containers determine their class. Certain classes
of containers are constrained to be separated by minimum distances
either along the deck or across the deck.

<P>

The vessel loading decision problem is to determine whether a given
set of containers can be positioned on a given deck, without overlapping,
and without violating any of the separation constraints. The problem can be
modelled as packing of a set of rectangles into a larger rectangle, subject
to constraints.

<P>
In practice, the layout may be further constrained by the physical
loading sequence. Containers are manoeuvred into position from the
south east corner. Each successive container in the loading sequence
must be positioned so that it abuts part of another container or a deck
wall both to the north and to the west.

                                                                                
<P>





</TT>


<HR><!------------------------------------------------------------------------>

<UL>

 <A HREF="../../index.html"> Back</A> to CSPLib home page.


